THE NEWS RECORD
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
On tl >? Insld* . . . ?
For Dorothy Shupe
female prime minister
wasn't enough... Page 4
78th Year, No. 20
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C.
THURSDAY, May 17, 1979
15* Per Copy
County Explains School Bond Plan
A series of meetings scheduled by the
Madison County Board of Education to explain the
proposed school bond issue which will be voted on
June 12 began Tuesday night of this week at the
Hot Springs School.
Future meetings are to be held at 7:30 this
Thursday at Laurel School, Walnut School on May
22, Marshall School on May 24, Madison High
School mi May 29 and Mars Hill School on May 31.
Members of the Board of Education will be pre
sent to answer questions and discuss the bond
referendum.
If approved, it will provide fluids for construc
tion of a new Marshall-Walnut Elementary School
adjacent to Madison High School and im
provements at other schools in the county.
Facts And Figures
According to figures released this week, the
new Marshall-Walnut School cost is estimated at
$1,800,000. Costs for improvements to other
elementary schools are as follows:
Spring Creek, $350,000; Laurel, $300,000; Hot
Springs, $300,000; Mars Hill, $200,000; total for all
schools, including Marshall-Walnut, $2,950,000.
It was stated that $450,000 is already on hand
from flood disaster funds and previous 10 cent
levy on taxes.
If bond issue is approved, the insured loan will
be scheduled for repayment over a period of 40
years. The first two installments will be for in
terest only. Each installment will be due June 1
with the first installment due the first June follow
ing the date of loan closing or delivery of the bond.
In other words, the interest for the first two years
($125,000 per year) will total $250,000. The prin
cipal and the interest for the remaining 38 years
at $146,925 per year will total $5,583,150. Total
repayment will be $5,833,150 on bond issue of
$2,500,000. Interest repayment will be $3,333,150.
It was further announced that if FmHA
makes the loan, the interest rate will be that
charged by FmHA at the time of the loan approval
(most likely 5 percent, it was stated).
If the conditions set forth are not met within
10 months from the date hereof (Feb. 23) FmHA
reserves the right to discontinue the processing of
the application.
Other instructions involving interim financ
ing, security, organization, accounting, audits
and reports, insurance and bonding, construction
contract documents and final plans and other con
ditions may be inspected in the county accoun
tant's office in the courthouse here.
It was announced that the approximate in
crease in taxes would be 15 cents per $100 proper
ty valuation.
MISS HELEN MAYS, retiring tax
collector and office manager for
the town of Mars Hill, was
honored with a luncheon on May 9
given by the mayor, board of
aldermen and employees of the
town of Mars Hill. The luncheon
was given at the Mars Hill Town
Hall with approximately 30 people
attending. Mayor William P.
Powell (above) on behalf of the
board, presented Miss Mays with
an engraved plaque in apprecia
tion for 15 1-2 years of service. She
was also presented a gift given
jointly by her co-workers, present
as well as former, and the board.
Miss Mays was hired by the town
on Nov. 5, 1963, and retired April
30.
Alleges * Mistreatment ' While Awaiting Trial
Crews Sues Sheriff For $200,000
Sheriff E.Y. Ponder was
named defendant in a $200,000
civil law suit in a summons
served Monday by a Western
District of North Carolina
federal court marshal. The
charges against Ponder were
signed by Alonzo M. Crews
Jr., who is serving a 160-year
sentence in the state peniten
tary in Raleigh for the murder
of two Yancey County men in
a remote area of Madison
County in 1977.
A Madison County jury
found Crews and also Phillip
Eugene "Phil" Turpin, guilty
of murder but recommended
both defendants be imprison
ed for the remainder of their
natural lives, rather than the
gas chamber. The case ended
here in November 1977.
Crews charged Ponder of
mistreatment while awaiting
trial here after extradition
papers had ordered Crews
from Tennessee to Marshall
on July 11, 1977.
Crews contends that Sheriff
Ponder denied him the use of a
telephone while in the
Madison County Jail. He also
states in the summons that
Ponder would not allow him
letters or mail of any kind
while in jail awaiting trial.
Crews also contends that
Sheriff Ponder made pre
judicial and inflamatory
statements to the news media,
namely, the News Record,
which prevented him from
receiving a fair and impartial
trial.
The case is expected to be
heard in the U.S. Federal
Court, Western District of
North Carolina, at a later
date.
Crews is asking (100,000
punitive damages, trial by
jury, plaintiff's cost of this suit
and other reliefs as the court
finds.
Sheriff Ponder told this
newspaper Monday that be
would answer the complaints
"real soon."
Bluegrass Festival Scheduled At Zenina Farms
History will rewrite itself as
the folk of Madison County
and their guests join the
"Daddy of Bluegrass Music"
in the cake cutting celebration
of 40 years of bluegrass music
on the Zenina Farms near
Marshall on the Zeno Ponder
property May 30 through June
2.
One of the many features
will be Bill Monroe and his
entertainers.
"To appear at this festival is
like coming home to me and a
chance to revisit my most
loyal friends," Bill said.
Grayson To Receive MHC Degree
J. Wesley Grayson of
Laguna Hills, Calif., will be
awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Laws during com
J. WESLEY GRAYSON
mencement activities May 20,
at Mara Hill College.
Grayson, a retired invest
ment counselor and economic
consultant, gave Mara Hill $1
million last September to
establish the Grayson Scholar
ship Endowment, which will
award |4,000 scholarships to
outstanding high school
graduates. In addition to being
a form of financial aid, the
scholarship will involve an
academic program dwrignted
to enhance the leadership
skills of the recipients.
Long associated with educa
tion, Grayson holds bachelor's
and master's degrees and was
associate professor of
economics for eight yean at
the University of Kansas and
at Ohio State University. He
?l?n (Mfahllshrd ?"l namgwl
a brokerage firm in Ohio, and
for 10 years was a tax
economist with several
government agenciea, in
eluding the Internal Revenue
Service.
He became acquainted with
Man Hill through his wife, the
former Sarah Pauline "Polly"
Wall of Mars Hill. She is an
alumna, as is most of her
family. Her uncle, Dr. Robert
Lee Moore, was president of
the college from 1897 through
1938.
In making the gift, Grayson
noted Mars Hill's committ
ment to a sound education
founded on Christian prin
ciples, remembering the
teachings and Christian ex
amples of his father, a
Methodist minister, and his
mother. In accepting the gift,
Dr. Bentley stated that it was
an expression of confidence in
the college and its faculty,
staff, and students.
Graduation weekend will of
ficially begin May 18, with an
exhibition of student art in the
Fine Arts Building. The col
lege's Board of Trustees will
hold their semi-annual
business meeting May 19, and
will meet with the Board of
Advisors for a Joint luncheon
at noon. On Saturday evening
the college will honor
graduating seniors and their
parents and other guests in a
banquet in Bridges Cafeteria.
A "pops" concert in Moore
Auditorium will end the even
ing's activities.
The baccalaureate sermon
will be held May 30, in Moore
Auditorium with Dr. Harold C.
Bennett, executive secretary
treasurer elect of tte Southern
Baptist Convention speaking
to the assembly of students,
parents, guests, and the con
gregation a I the Mars Hill
Baptist Church, which tradi
tionally Joins the college for
tilt 11 am service. The final
event of the weekend will be
the awarding of approximate
ly *77 degrees by Dr. Bently in
commencement ceremonies
which begin at S p.m.
Mars Hill Students Win Honors
More thaa NO Mara Hill
Elementary School atudanta
teamed the Balk AkIMmIhii
at Mara Hill College last Fri
aadio-vlaual program
presented by Dr. Harley
JaDey, Watery |ll at
Mara HBl College.
: Daapite the warm
eighth grade
ftitritd the
the two
?M of
tha
grades Is Om
and Mr*
i
of Mr.
loort,
to tha
%
m of Mr. and Mn. Stbtald
radptanta will t?
Man Hill Civic
"Our first appearance with
the Bluegrass Boys was on
radio station WWNC in 1939 in
Asheville. I want to see and
shake hands with the old
timers while I am there,"
Monroe said.
Helping Bill in the celebra
tion will be some of America's
top bluegrass performers. As
a matter of fact, the law of
North Carolina will be playing
a part when N.C.'s Attorney
General Rufus Edminsten
plans to sing some bluegrass
for the folks on Saturday.
This festive occasion will be
helping out in another wor
thwhile way as a benefit to the
North Carolina Heart Fund
according to the two local
county chairmen, Chuck Eg
gers and Dennis McCurry.
Festival grounds will open a
day early on May 30 and there
will be plenty of free parking
and freelance jam sessions
beginning around noontime
throughout the festival
grounds.
Thursday activities will
begin at 2 p.m. with a day-long
band contest with stars Byron
Berline and Ralph Lewis on
hand for the judging with
others on the list of judges.
Friday's activities will get
under way at 2 p.m. and con
tinue until about midnight
with continuous entertain
ment by some of America's
favorite bluegrass players and
dancers. The lineup will con
sist of Jim and Jesse and the
Virginia Boys, Eddie Adcock,
Byron Berline, Raymond
Fairchild and the Maggie
Valley Boys, Ralph Lewis
Family and Friends, James
Worley, Dan Crary, the
Turkey Branch Junction, Bill
Clifton and Red Rector; the
Tasty Licks, and James
Monroe and the Midnight
Ramblers.
Saturday's homecoming
and cake cutting celebration
will get under way at noon,
starring the daddy of
bluegrass music himself, Bill
Monroe. Other notables will be
there performing and dancing
until midnight.
Dunham's Music Center will
provide the sound system and
engineering to insure a plea
sant and enjoyable time for
all.
Tickets may be purchased
in Marshall at the Plaza
Burger Parlor on the Marshall
bypass.
Ticket prices are: Thursday
band concert, 94; Friday's S
p.m. until midnight, $7; Satur
day's celebrations, $S; and all
three days with free souvenir
program included, $15.
Marchers Protest Festivals
Opposition to a series of
music festivals planned for
this area was demonstrated
Monday when approximately
SO residents of the Red Oak
area and North Buncombe
County participated in a pro
test march in Asheville,
gathering at the City-County
Plaza.
The concerts are scheduled
to begin with a bluegrass
festival May 31 to June 2. They
will be held on Zenina Farms,
TWO MARS HILL elementary
students were presented coveted
citizenship trophies last Friday
afternoon in Beik Auditorium at
Mars Hill College. The winners
were selected by the students.
Shown above, left to right, are:
1 - J ? ? 1- | rliiwtr ?^t) nJna1
rreoencK Anderson, principal.
who participated in the
ceremony; Rhonda Moore, win
ner; Richard Lambert, winner;
and Pred Dickerson, president,
Iters Hill CMc Club, sponsor of
the annuel event. Larfe trophy in
center is the Fred Dickerson
nii.i i-i? ww 1... ? i .
uuiensmp iropny, torin^ri} tnc
Susan Britt Citisenship ttephy
owned by Zeno Ponder, on the
Buncombe-Madison County
line.
Led by the Rev. Larry Ed
wards, associate pastor of
Mount Bethel Free Will Bap
tist Church, the protestors
made a line on the plaia and
held up placards with Bible
verses citing the hazards of
strong drink.
"We are against the beer
Joint they want to pot in and
against the concert," said
Barbara Edwards. "There's
goingtobealotflfdrinUng.il
lot of drugs and no telling what
else. I don't want my chikiran
exposed to it"
"We are hoping the public
will see us and know oar com
munity is opposed to this, 7
said Judy Randall "We've
seen the results of things of
this nature to other com
munities - damaged property,
litter. It's not becoming to any